cadet blogs

Today, on the tenth anniversary of the tragic attacks on our nation, I had the honor and privilege of racing my first biathlon in the nation’s capitol: Washington D.C. Normally, this event is supposed to be a triathlon, but they unfortunately canceled the swim due to unsanitary conditions in the Potomac River. The race ultimately began with the 40k cycling leg.

The CGA Triathlon team, along with three other service academies (Army, Air Force, and Navy), started off in the second wave out of 38. Luckily for us, the Nation’s Triathlon favors cadets and we have our own special category. And off I was, quickly running through the transition area to where my bike was.

I’ve never really cycled before, so I was surprised at how tired I was when I hit the 30k mark. I was also surprised at how my legs felt when I started the run. I’ve been running for four years now and my legs have never felt that tight before. Switching from one discipline to another is quite a shock to the body, I’ve discovered. My calves were tight at the beginning of the run, but I felt really good when I hit the halfway point of my 10k run. I felt even better as I sprinted through the finish.

My favorite part of the race, besides finishing, was the sheer amount of energy at the event. I’ve never seen so much enthusiasm at any of the cross country, swimming, track meets or 5ks that I’ve been too. I’m excited to train harder for my next biathlon/triathlon in October!